By: Taranjit | Last Updated: December 7, 2020
We have grown to know cars have airbags. When you think of a car, you just assume airbags are a part of its safety features. It is hard to imagine a time when cars did not have this safety feature, but that time did exist. Airbags are the gas-inflated cushions that are invisible to the naked eye (until they are activated, then they are clearly visible). They are hidden away in one or more places inside your car, including your steering wheel, the side of the car, the roof of your car, the seat of your car, and the dashboard. And hidden is where you want them to stay, unless you get involved in a crash or something. Then, of course, you want them to deploy, but hopefully it never comes to that point.
How exactly does an airbag work?
When you are involved in a serious enough crash that would require the deployment of airbags, the crash triggers the sensor to start immediately inflating and expanding the airbags. This usually involves the nitrogen gas to expand in the airbag to form a cushion that was designed to decrease injury and impact.
Who invented the Airbag?
John W. Hetrick was inspired to invent the airbag after a crazy accident he was involved in. Hetrick and his family were driving to Pennsylvania, and just outside of Newport they encountered a deer. Paying close attention to this deer to make sure it didn’t make any unwanted moves towards their car, they didn’t see the boulder. As an instinct, he hit the brakes so hard and swerved straight into a ditch. Hetrick and his wife both put their arms up to prevent their daughter from hitting the dash, and this scary incident got Hetrick’s mind racing. There has to be a way to protect yourself from accidents like this, and the idea of the airbag was born. His airbag design was patented in 1952, but not having the funds to further his invention, he began to pitch it to big automakers; however, no one was willing to invest in it at the time.
Then came Allen Breed, a mechanical engineer who improved the airbags by creating the first one with sensors. Breed was born in 1927 in Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, which he completed in a little over 2 years! That is insane!
Apparently, he was able to graduate in such a short amount of time by attending two lectures at the same time: one physically in person and another via a tape recorder he would leave in the classroom. Now that is some serious dedication. No wonder he invented an airbag with crash sensors.
Breed got a lot of opposition on using airbags in cars, but ended up holding the only patent for this type of crash-sensing technology. At the time, Congress had only passed a law about seat belt use, not air bags. And the law only required cars to have seat belts, but didn’t say anything about requiring the vehicle occupants to wear the actual seat belts. Although, this is no longer the case today, many states now require seat belts be worn when in a car.
History Fast Facts:
Early airbag prototypes
1953:
Airbag assembly in cars was patented by John Hetrick (he came up with the idea after he got in an accident).
The German patent for a similar airbag was received by Walter Linderer around the same time as Hetrick.
1968:
First airbag crash sensor was created by Allen Breed.
Hetrick and Linderer’s airbags lacked the sensor to detect a crash, Breed designed an airbag with this missing feature.
Commercial introduction of airbags
1971:
An experimental airbag fleet was built by the Ford Motor Company
1973:
The 1973 Chevy Impala was introduced by GM with airbags installed, but was only for use by the government.
GM stopped offering airbags in cars at one point claiming customers didn’t show as much interest in this feature.
1973 Oldsmobile Tornado was the first car available to the public with a passenger airbag.
1986:
First car with standard driver and passenger airbags soled in the U.S. was the 1986 944 Turbo by Porshe
Early 1900s:
Most American cars had airbags.
1994:
First gas inflated airbag was produced by TRW.
1998:
Congress passed a law that stated airbags were required in all new cars
Final thoughts:
Even though it took some time and a lot of fighting against those who just didn’t see the need for it, I am so glad that airbags exist today. Imagine not having that airbag when you are involved in an accident, and you have nothing stopping you from hitting your steering wheel or the dashboard. Oh man. That would end in a disaster. But airbags are only able to do their job if you wear your seatbelts along with it. So remember to buckle up and stay safe on the road.
Comment below your thoughts on airbag and seatbelts, and share if you have an airbag story.
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